Holders for fishing rods have been used in the past but, for the most part, they have either been too complicated for reliable operation or have been so simple that they are not operated automatically. It is desirable to not only provide a fishing rod holder which holds the pole while waiting for a fish to "bite" but it is also desirable that the holder be made so that it automatically shifts the fishing rod upwardly when a fish "bites". This assures that a fish will be caught without having to manually hold the rod and pull upwardly on it. Since prior holders do not have this dual capability, a need has arisen for an improved holder which does have this capability.